- Date
- June 3, 2017, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Guttenberg, IA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N34462Cessna 177
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170603018979A
- Case key
- 95293
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate approach path, which resulted in the left wing impacting a street sign.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during final, "all seemed normal until [he] felt the plane drop." He added that he heard the stall warning horn chirp and added full power "[too] late." The left wing sheared off after impacting a street sign, and the airplane came to rest on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 12 miles north of the accident airport revealed that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 9 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 17.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during final "all seemed normal until [he] felt the plane drop". He added that he heard the stall warning horn chirp and added full power "[too] late". The left wing sheared off after impacting a street sign and the airplane came to rest on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located about 12 miles north of the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was 210° at 9 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 17.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34462
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701819
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 5,769.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 24, 2017
- Departed
- DVN · Davenport, IA
- Destination
- IA23 · Guttenberg, IA
- Airport
- IA23 · Gaa Private, runway 17, 2,540 × 160 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDC, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 10, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.